Advisor | Operational Security and Civil Military Coordination

Position description

InterAction is the largest alliance of international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the U.S., with over 190 members working in every developing country. Members are large and small, faith-based and secular, with a focus on the world’s most poor and vulnerable populations. The U.S. public, foundations and governments support the work of our members who collectively invest and manage over $18 billion a year. InterAction’s own funds come from dues and generous grants from others, such as foundations, corporations and governments. Using its collective voice, InterAction seeks to shape important policy decisions as wide range of foreign assistance, relief, development, environmental and other issues that advance human dignity.

About the Position

Position Title: Advisor, Operational Security and Civil Military Coordination

Position Type: Full-time, long term

Location: Washington, DC

Travel: 15%-20% (primarily international)

Reporting to: Director, Humanitarian Practice

Key Responsibilities

A new role within the HPP team, this primary responsibility of this position is to aide members in their operational response through: supporting member capacity to develop enabling security strategies, tracking and disseminating successful approaches, guiding on standards, and drafting advocacy messages.

Areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to:

Work in close collaboration with the crisis-specific, IHL and security WGs, ensuring an appropriate liaison between them, to ensure security and civil military coordination issues are well-understood and discussed as relevant.

Give guidance and feedback to members and staff on security and civil military coordination.

Ensure identification, monitoring and analysis of context-specific security access constraints and risks, and the mitigating measures undertaken or recommended.

Identify and give relevant briefings on security and civil military coordination.

Provide support and engagement to membership on Saving Lives Together.

Contribute in developing and implementing collective and organizational guidelines for civil military engagement. This could be via the IASC, within a crisis WG or through support to an NGO country forum.

Pursue and develop relationships with external partners to identify and support how members engage at global and country-level on security.

Act as the InterAction focal point and liaison on civil-military coordination, facilitating linkages between members and key partners, including UN DPKO.

Review and provide advice on policy issues related to safeguarding humanitarian principles and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Liaise with InterAction’s communications and policy teams regarding messaging around an enabling response environment and impediments.

Support senior staff in their representational duties related to security.

Collaborate with other InterAction staff and teams, with members, and with other InterAction stakeholders.

Participate in field missions, with colleague or as an NGO representative, looking specifically at issues related to creating a collective enabling security environment and approach.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate has a minimum of seven years professional experience working in complex humanitarian situations, preferably in a field-based role related to enabling access through overseeing operational security for a member organization of InterAction.

Additionally, they possess:

An understanding of the humanitarian architecture, including the relevant policy frameworks on security, access and civ-mil coordination, and the diversity of partnerships involved within a principled response;

Proven ability to work independently: to plan and organize, establish priorities, manage and monitor work plans, coordinate competing demands, and work to tight deadlines with limited supervision.

Proven interpersonal skills and demonstrable commitment to a collaborative approach.

Master degree or equivalent in a relevant field; work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Availability for international travel, potentially to insecure environments.

Fluency in one or more languages beyond English is a plus.

Primary Relationships

Reporting to the Director of Humanitarian Practice and working alongside the rest of the Humanitarian Policy and Practice team. The Operational Security Advisor collaborates to define the strategy for the humanitarian team at InterAction and plays a role within the team’s engagement with the HPP Advisory Committee. Externally, this position liaises with InterAction members, U.N. Agencies, U.S. government representatives, and other humanitarian actors.

Physical Requirements

There are no extraordinary physical requirements for the performance of the essential functions of this position. InterAction will make reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Application instructions

Position will remain open until filled but applications received before August 31st preferred.

Due to the expected volume of applications, only finalists will be notified. All applicants must be able to provide documentation that they are legally eligible to work in the United States for an extended period of time.

No phone calls please.

Please be sure to indicate that you saw this position on Globaljobs.org